Automatic railway-switch.



A.J.GURNEY.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

'APPLIOATION FILED APB.6, 1914,

1, 1 24,892. Patented Jan. 12, 1915.\

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76 544/14 107 W%7%bw5 THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHoTc-LlTHa, WASHINGTON D. c.

A.J.GURNEY. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.6, 1914.

1 ,1 24,892. Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

2 s HnmsPsHEET 2.

.9 Abbasb b. AA. 611mm a-mw b1 %7fl 7% THE NORRIS PETERS C0,, PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTONv D. C.

ALBERT J. GURNEY, 0F HEREIN, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 12, 1915.

Application filed April 6, 1914. Serial No. 829,875.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. GURNEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Herrin, in the county of Villiamson and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Railway-Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to automatic railway switch mechanism comprising switch elements operable by a device carried by a lo comotive or railway car.

The present invention has several objects in view which may be generally stated as follows: To provide means whereby the switch points of an automatic switch will be fully set in either open or closed positions. To provide means whereby the mechanism is looked after full movement of the switch points. To provide means permitting the yielding of the switch points when they are set either to close or open the switch. To provide means whereby the switch points may be automatically restored to normal position after an ordinary switching operation, or in making what is termed a flying switch. To provide an automatic switch 0pcrating mechanism which may be actuated manually.

Figure I is a top or plan View of my switch and switch operating mechanism the switch being shown closed. Fig. II is a side elevation of the traveler shown adjacent to one of the switch restoring devices. Fig. III is a perspective View of the primary throw lever of my switch operating mechanism and the hand lever utilized to set the mechanism manually. Fig. IV is an enlarged top or plan view of the switch and switch operating mechanism, except for the restoring devices, the switch being shown open. Fig. V is in part a side elevation of the features shown inFig. IV, and in part a section taken on line V-V, Fig. IV.

I In the accompanying drawings: A A designates the rails of a main line of railroad track and B B are side track rails.

C O are switch points movable respectively to and from the main line rails A and A.

D is a frog to which the switch points are pivoted. The switch points C C- are joined by a connecting rod E,

1 designates a draw spring associated with a draw rod 2, by which the switch points are normally so held as to maintain the switch 1n closed condition. These parts permit lateral movement of the switch points when pressure is exerted against the switch point C by locomotive or car wheels in the passage of such wheels from the side track rail B to the main line rail A, and also permitting the movement of the switch points by the operating mechanism to be described, when the switch is being operated by such mechanism. In the construction illustrated the draw rod 2 is connected to the switch point C, and extends loosely through the side track rail B, and the spring 1 is located outwardly from said side track rail upon said draw rod.

3 designates a throw rod, for imparting lateral movement to the switch points C C. This throw rod is pivoted to one arm of a bell crank lever 4c, pivoted to a bracket 5. The throw rod 3 is loosely arranged in an ear 6 carried by the connecting rod E, and said throw rod is provided with a nut'or other suitable abutment 7 movable to and from said ear. A collar or abutment 8 on the throw rod is located at the side of the ear 6 opposite to that at which the abutment 7 is located and between the abutment 8 and the ear 6 upon the throw rod is a compensation spring 9. The functions of these parts will be hereinafter explained.

10 and 11 designate guides, parallel with each other, located alongside of and parallel with one of the main line rails A A, these guides being shown in the present instance alongside of the rail A. The guides are provided with horizontal channels in which a throw lever, to be presently more particularly referred to, operates, and at the ends of the channels in the guide 11 are abutments 12 and 13, which serve to limit the movement of said throw lever. The guides 10 and 1 1 are spaced sufficiently from each other to provide a guideway and permit the passage between them of a traveler to be hereinafter described. The guides 10 and 11 are supported by suitable means such as bracket arms 14 and base bars 15, preferably secured to the railway rail alongside of which the guides are located. At the ends of the guides are vertical inclined faces, which serve to direct thetraveler into the vertical guideway between the guides, and beneath the guides is a horizontal runway plate 16 having inclined ends, this runway plate serving to prevent engagement of the traveler with the supports beneath the guides.

17 designates a primary throw lever operable in a horizontal plane within the guides 10 and 11, this throw lever being adapted to occupy the position illustrated in Fig. I when the switch is closed, and being moved into the position in which it is shown in Fig. IV during the opening of the switch. When the switch is closed and the primary throw lever is in position shown in Fig. I, it extends across the guideway between the guides 10 and 11, so that the traveler provided for actuating the throw lever may, in moving in the direction indicated by the arrows, engage the rear edge of the lever and carry it forwardly until its forward edge strikes against the abutment 12 on the guide 11 at which time the throw lever is completely removed from the guideway and the traveler may escape from the guideway.

The primary throw lever 17 is pivotally supported byupper and lower bracket arms 20 and 21 secured to the guide 11, and the pivot of the throw lever is preferably provided by forming journal members 18 and 19 upon the throw lever which are seated in the bracket arms 20 and 21.

The primary throw lever 17 is of bell crank form, having a long arm which is operable in the guides 10 and 11, and a short arm located exteriorly of said guides. The short arm of the throw lever has pivotally connected to it a curved yoke 22, the said curved yoke being joined to the bell crank lever i by a connecting rod 23. It will be apparent that when the yoke 22 and the connecting rod 23 are moved in either direction they will impart a corresponding movement to the bell crank lever l and thrust rod 3, and movement will be imparted to the switch points C, C. The movement of said yoke '22 in one direction is accomplished directly by the primary throw lever 17 when said throw lever is moved from the position shown in Fig. I to the position shown in Fig. 11, to open the switch, and the movement of said yoke in the opposite direction for restoration of the parts is accomplished by restoring means to be next described.

The restoring means of my switch operating mechanism includes a secondary throw lever 2d pivoted to the ournal 18 of the primary throw lever 17, andhaving an arm 25 so positioned as to engage the rear edge of the primary throw lever. The secondary throw lever has connected to it a pull connection 26, preferably flexible, which ex tends into proximity with the side track rail B, and moves on a sheave 27. v

28 'is a primary pull lever pivoted to a bracket 29 adjacent to the side track rail B and to which the pull connection 26 is attached.

30 is a secondary pull lever pivoted to a bracket 31 located in advance of the primary pull lever, the said secondary pull lever being joined to the pull member 26 by a connecting member 32.

The primary pull lever 28 is located in such proximity to the main line rails A, is as to permit of said lever being operated by a traveler carried by a locomotive immediately after the locomotive has entered onto the side track in order that a flying switch may be effected and the secondary pull lever 30 is located at a sufficient distance from the main line to permit of its operation by a traveler after a long train of cars have entered onto the side track.

The traveler used for operating my switch mechanism is illustrated in Fig. 11. This traveler includes a vertical bar 33 movable in guides 34 carried by a locomotive or car. The traveler is designed to be raised and lowered by a hand lever 35 connected to the upper end of the traveler and normally supported by a lift spring 36. The traveler bar is movable through the guideway between the guides 10 and 11 when it is depressed through the medium of the hand lever 85, and in its movement through said guideway engages the primary throw lever 17 to impart forward movement to said lever for the operation of the yoke 22, the connecting rod 26, the bell crank lever 4, and the throw rod 3, with the result of adjusting the switch points from the closed positions shown in Fig. I to the open positions shown in Fig. TV. The traveler being held depressed while it is passing through the guideway between the guides 10 and 11 necessarily imparts a complete forward movement to the primary throw lever 17 before it escapes from said guideway, and it is to be noted that the point of pivotal connection between said primary throw lever and the yoke 22 is such that said point of pivotal connection is carried beyond the pivotal center of said throw lever, as seen in Fig. IV, thereby locking the parts, so that the switch points cannot accidentally return to closed positions while the primary throw lever is in its'forward position. The traveler bar 33 is also lowered when the locomotive or car by which it is carried passes onto the side track after the switch has been opened, and said traveler may be engaged either with the primary pull lever 28 or the secondary pull lever 30. In the event that it is desired to perform an ordinary switching operation the traveler is not depressed to engage the primary lever 28, but depressed only to engage the sec'ondary'pull lever which is located at suflicientdistance from the main i o permit a l of. the ca s of a train passing onto the side ltr'ack previous to "res tora'tion tithe" swathrp ns mi s d posidisconnected from the locomotive have reached the switch points.

-When either of the pull levers 28 or 30 is operated by the traveler the pull connection connecting it to the secondary throw lever 24: is operated and the arm 25 of said secondary throw lever forces the primary throw lever 17 backwardly from its previous set forward position, shown in Fig. IV, to its rear position, shown in Fig. I. Such movement of the primary throw lever results in the yoke 22, the connecting rod 23, the bell crank lever 4, and the throw rod 3 being so operated as to return the switch points to close the switch, the closing of the switch being, at such time, elfected in part by the draw spring 1 which acts to hold the switch points in normal position while the switch is closed.

Various conditions, such as railway rails and car wheels, act to aflect variation in a degree to which a traveler bar having the office of the traveler bar I utilize should be lowered, and I have found it advisable to provide means for regulating the degree to which the traveler is lowered, in order that it may be lowered only to the proper degree necessary for the performance of its functions. The regulating means I employ comprises a stop bar or block 37 fastened to the traveler bar 33 by bolts 38 which are adjustable in vertical slots 33 in the traveler bar. This stop bar normally rests upon the upper guide 3 1 and the traveler bar can only be lowered to the extent permitted by said stop bar. If it is desired to alter the degree to which the traveler bar is lowered, such alteration may be readily effected by adjusting the stop bar upwardly or downwardly on the trav eler bar as necessary. Various conditions also render it necessary that the traveler bar should be free to partake of lateral movement in order that it will enter properly into, and operate properly in, the guideway between the guides 10 and 11, and I provide for such lateral movement by making the guides 34 of suflicient size, see Fig. IV, to permit lateral play of the traveler within the guides.

The loose mounting of a throw rod 3 in the ear 6 of the connecting rod E, the provision of the abutments 7 and 8 on said rod and the compensation spring 9 of my switch provides for the operation of the switch points through the medium of the operating mechanism and also permits the switch points to be moved away from the main the wear of line rails by the flanges of locomotive: or car wheels when the latter approach the switch from the rear of the switch points.

When the switch is closed, as seen in Fig. I, the switch point C rests against themain line railA and a locomotive or car wheel movingv on the side track rail B to said switch point may readily move'the switch point away from the main line rail to pass between these members, this movement being effected without interfering with the" operating mechanism. This is dueto the loose mounting of the throw rod3 and the yielding of .the compensation spring 9.

Vhen, however, the switch points are thrown open the compensation spring ispartly compressed between the abutment '8 j and the ear 6 during the movement of the thrust rod 3, and acts. as a cushioning presser member between these parts. The

' compensation spring is not fully compressed when the switch point C is adjusted to the main line rail A and consequently this spring will yield when the flange of a locomotive or car wheel rides against the switch point in approaching it from the rear,

thereby permitting a lateral movement of the switch point so that the flange may pass between said switch point and the adjoining main line rail. I

In order that my switch operating mecha nism may be operated manually when there is occasion for manual operation, I make the journal 18 of the primary throw lever 17 of tubular form and provide such journal with a lug 18'. The journal receives astem 39 carried by a hand lever 40, and said stem is provided with a lug 41 which is adapted to engage the lug 18. apparent that the hand lever may be quickly applied to the journalof the pri- It will be readily mary throw lever, and when operated will serve as an eflicient means for manual operation of the switch points.

I claim 1 1. The combination in an automatic railway switch, of switch points, a yoke operatively connected to said switch points, and a throw lever pivoted to said yoke, the pivot joining said throw lever and yoke being so connected to the yoke as to move beyond the axial center of the throw lever when the latter is operated by a traveler device carried by a railway vehicle.

2. The combination in an automatic railway switch, of spring controlled switch points, a yoke operatively connectedto said switch points, and a throw lever pivoted to said yoke, the pivot joining said throw lever and yoke being so connected to the yoke as to move beyond the axial center of the throw lever when the latter is operated by a traveler device carried by a railway vehicle.

3. The combination in an automatic railway switch, of switch points, switch point &

way switch, of switch. points, a yoke operai ely i connected; to" said w tc p n a guide, adapted; to receive a trav ler device,

a bellcrank lever to which said throw rod is connected, yoke having connection with said bell crank lever, a throw lever operable by a traveler device carried by a railway vehicle and to which said yoke is pivoted, the v"pivot joining said throw lever and yoke beingsol connected to the yoke as to move beyond, the axial center ofthe throw lever the .latterisoperated by a traveler device.

5. Thecombination in an automatic railoperating jmeans includingv a primary throw levenoperable by a traveler device carried by railwayvehicle, and switch poi nt re.- storlng mechanism comprisingfa secondary throw leve mounted concentric with said primary throw lever forretracting said p maryjth wf l an 26 18,- p rabl by the traveler device for actuating said secondary throw lever. 6Q 'lfhe'co rnbinatipn in' an automatic railway switch, of switchpoints, a y ke bperatively connectedto said switch points, a primary throw lever operable by a traveler Yi' Y -e sea We Q sii ee tion to open theswitch, and, switch point restoring mechanism comprising a member operable by said traveler device, and a secondaryfthrow lever connected to the traveler oplerated member by which said primary throw lever, is restored: and said yoke is operated. reversely to, the direction of its first movem'ent to close the switch.

7 The combination 'in an automatic railway switch, of switch points, switch point operating mechanism by vwhich the switch points; may, be moved, to open the switch, mechanism forrestoring said switch point operating mechanism, the said restoring mechanism including a plurality of devices operable by a, traveler device carried by a railway vehicle when the vehicle is more or less' remote from switch. points.

8. The combination in an automatic rail- 5 way switch, of switch points, switch point lever.

' A. J. GURNEY. In thepresence- R, F; MOONEYHAM, P. N.ILEWIIS'.

nic! elr'fihiaw et MWw P F? 1-?! it? e s lt Q C i- & hi wemeiissiqne 9 P en Washington, Ci" i 

